MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — For long stretches on Friday night, it looked like the biggest shock in men's World Cup history was unfolding in real time. Cape Verde, a nation of roughly half a million people playing in its first-ever tournament, twice erased an Argentine lead before the defending champions finally escaped with a 3-2 win after 120 draining minutes at Hard Rock Stadium. Lionel Messi scored once, assisted twice, and watched two of his own center backs do the rest, in what ESPN called a game Argentina came within a whisker of statistically the worst upset in the competition's knockout history.
